Coming up later this week, I’m heading to East Liberty for a special preview of Quantum Theatre’s latest production, “Maria de Buenos Aires.”

Quantum has been gracious enough to once again reach out to local bloggers and invite them to a preview of their 2010-2011 season which features their neighborhood initiative. I’m looking forward to it, and think I’ll be taking a few trips on the East Busway to do it this time, so I’m sure that will provide an entertaining post as well.

Check back later this week for (hopefully) some pictures and a write up of the East Liberty YMCA and Quantum’s latest production.

I was inclined to save this for a PATransit Tuesday, but I wanted to spread the word, Bus Stop Opera is performing this weekend along the 500, 86B and 54C.

Produced by CMU (and in my mind, hot on the heels of Waffle Shop Show), actors, musicians and crew perform at bus stops, as well as en route. I’m tempted to head into Oakland this weekend just to hop on a bus to follow the performance around town.

A friend of mine opened a new gallery last Thursday and I had the opportunity to check it out. The exhibit is a collaboration between Nicholas O’Donoughue and Kate Cole.

Nick is a photographer, the two sets featured are Muted and Vibrant. Kat’s pieces are titled Bits and Pieces of a Place. All three collections come together to take on the view of non-natives of Pittsburgh’s landscape.

Have you ever been hungry for waffles in the early hours of the morning? CMU to the rescue just once again! The art department, who created Tent Show, are back once again, this time service waffles from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. (Fridays and Saturdays only) on South Highland Ave.

Customers are interviewed and episodes are slated to come out weekly, but I don’t think they’ve quite hit that mark yet.

I haven’t had a chance to check it out, but their channel on youtube has a couple videos already. The project started last semester, but continues during this semester as well.

While I’m still hoping that the Port Authority does not go on strike, lock-out, or whatever you want to call the possible stoppage of service that looms (please don’t make me face the Parkway East every morning again!), I was excited to find out that the Steel Plaza T station will be hosting an art installation beginning tomorrow.

There is more information here about the Pittsburgh 250 photo exhibit. I’m hoping to stop by later this week or early next week to check it out (and get out of the cold for a few minutes) on my way up the hill to work. I’ll post more details and a reaction then.

Typically I try not to blog about work, just easier to keep everything separate, but this is a fun event and it’s open to the public so I wanted to spread the word. Flag Plaza Scout Service Center, home to the Boy Scouts of America, Greater Pittsburgh Council and the National Flag Foundation is celebrating its 40th anniversary this Friday (we’re the stone building next to the Mellon Arena with the giant flags). The building will be open until 7 p.m. with refreshments and, on tour from the national gallery, original works of art by Norman Rockwell (in addition to the other art already in the building).

The building is really interesting unto itself, and the amount of art it houses is pretty spectacular, but even more fascinating is the fact that the second half of the building was the principal gift to the United States for her bicentennial (much like the Statue of Liberty was a gift for her centennial). Freedom’s Atrium displays all 50 state flags, as well as Liberty’s Five Flags, flags once lost to history and originally used to celebrate the ratification of the constitution.

Shown here is the Statue of Freedom, my favorite piece in the whole buildling. The original is on top of the Capitol dome in Washington and our copy sits in the Bicentennial Room.

We’ve been cleaning the building both inside and out (including what I dubbed “Amateur Landscaping Night”) and it looks really great, so please stop up, take a look around, enjoy some Boy Scout popcorn and see some awesome art. Also, in case you were wondering, the five flags outside the building in the plaza are the flags of the United States, the City of Pittsburgh, the State of Pennsylvania, the Greater Pittsburgh Council and one historic flag that changes daily.

This list of festivals arrived in my inbox today as part of an email promotion for AirTran Airlines. I just wanted to share these because I think it is interesting to see the types of festivals that other cities are holding. Maybe there are some Pittsburgh connections to these festivals or some Pittsburgh regulars that attend. The art car festival caught my eye because the Post-Gazette had an article, which I was able to find!!!, about Art Cars in Pittsburgh. I am kind of fascinated by these cars – the only art like car I see on a regular basis now is the truck for the coffee/cigar shop Leaf and Bean.8 Crazy Adventures For You! Go! There’s nothing stopping you from enjoying these 8 wacky and wonderful events.

Atlanta – September 8
Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Jasper, GA with events including a greased pig chase, greased pole climbing and a cake walk.Baltimore – September 6
Run with the pigs at the 2008 Pigtown Festival on historic Washington Boulevard.Buffalo – August 30-31
Head to the National Buffalo Wing Festival to see if you can beat last year’s eating contest winner at 173 wings in 12 minutes.Houston – September 21-22
Get your spice on at the Houston Hot Sauce Festival featuring hot and spicy fiery food products and an amateur salsa dancing competition.Indianapolis – August 29-September 1
Enjoy Italian mini-golf, salami roulette and spaghetti eating contests at the Little Italy Festival in Clinton, IN.Philadelphia – September 6-7
Venture to Kennett Square, PA for the Mushroom Festival and enjoy the Mushroom Soup Cook-off.Raleigh – September 20BugFest is a fun way to learn about – and taste – every creepy-crawly critter you can come up with.San Francisco – September 25-28
See cars roll down the street disguised as high heels, dragons, castles and everything in between at the ArtCar Fest.

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Move over, PedutoFox There is no way this can be real. How on earth does something like this happen?? Love it!

Wash your hands.Mike I haven’t seen them while I’ve been out and about (granted, I haven’t been in a school in...Eve I’ve seen these around Allegheny County for years…various schools, downtown businesses. It’s...

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